Still my little girl...

Don't let the "tough girl" picture fool you: this girlie is as sweet as they come! Case in point:

~ When her class was still doing ITBS testing this year, she giddily reported, "We're still getting yummy snacks! Goldfish and grape juice!" even though testing was done for the week. I'm glad she gets excited over little things like "kid" snacks.

~ When asked during a game what age she'd like to be and why, she said, "Sixteen. Because I would like to drive a car." That's my red-blooded American tween! ha!

~ During her prayers, she still prays for "everybody in the world." That's her standard. But they're getting deeper. She recently prayed for some friends who are having trouble in school: "Help them to be on the right path to You, Jesus, so they make sure to get to heaven." And last but not least, during mealtimes, she still prays for our pets, Sonny and Jacky. She's a faithful pet-owner!

~ When asked why in the world she didn't tell someone she was feeling so sick until she got home from school: "I had no strength," she said. "I didn't even have the strength to tell Mrs. Solomon, to go up to her desk. I felt so chilled and when I felt my skin I was so hot. I just laid my little head down because I couldn't do anything else."

~ When asked, during a game, what would be the title of a book she'd write: How I Survived the Last Days. She's very interested in end time events according to the Bible.

* * *

In other news, this past Thursday I gave a presentation to Hannah's class on Boundaries: When you should say "no." It went really well! I told them that many people--family, friends, teachers--will have expectations of us in life. And that it's really important that we ask ourselves every now and then, "Is this a reasonable or unreasonable expectation of me?" If it's not, they should have the right and the responsibility to tell people in their lives. That they don't *have* to say yes to everything, especially something that might get them into trouble.

I had an activity with balloons, another one with cups of water, and yet another that involved Indian Wrestling! ha! They seemed enjoy it. The only downside was that I realized too late that I did not have enough balloons to go around for them to take home. Note to self: bring enough for each kid next time! ha! I feel badly about it enough to go buy another bag and have Hannah hand them out sometime in the next few weeks.

One girl had the expression of losing her bestest friend when I said all the balloons were given out! But Hannah came to the rescue! My little helper, clasping the balloon I'd given her, gently wiped the spittle off the balloon she'd been blowing on and offered hers to the girl. What a trooper! And you know what? The other girl, looking mortally offended at the still-wet-from-Hannah's-mouth balloon, shrugged her shoulders, took the balloon and marched triumphantly away. I decided to ignore any squeamish thoughts inside me that screamed of "Germs! You shouldn't share Germs!" and, gently squeezing my daughter's shoulder, declared it a DAY.

Hannah: Up Close and Personal

I would have to say that Hannah never holds back what she's thinking: The other evening at bedtime, she told me, "Mama, you must be so proud of yourself to have such a wonderful kid like me! "

And so humble too! was my thought... ha!

***

Last night while helping her with her homework, she had launched into some story, and mid-stream, looked at me and said with a giggle, "Why, Mama! I just tell you everything, don't I?"

I'll say. Amen and double amen to that!

***

Hannah learned how to use the super duper, handheld vacuum (John won the vacuum as some sort of a prize at work). I'm a little addicted to it and now I believe Hannah has caught the vacuum fever as well. She also figured out how to de-attach all the various parts, as well as charge the battery. She said, after vacuuming up her entire room and bathroom, "well, I sure am growing up, aren't I? learning to use this vacuum and all!"

***

I was a handy-dandy gal the other evening as well. I couldn't stand Hannah's nighttime fan rattling anymore, so I got out John's screwdriver set and proceeded to take it apart to clean it and fix the rattle. I surprised myself by actually remembering how to put everything back in place. There was one moment, however, when I thought I'd blown it: I turned the switch and nothing happened. Oh no! I broke it. Wait, what's that? Oh, the fan's not plugged in. Whew! Beautiful white noise established once again. (sigh of relief)

***

But I think the truly proud moment was earlier that day, on Sunday. After cleaning out the leaves and trash out of the car, I rewarded myself with a trip to Barnes and Noble.

Much to my delight (sarcasm here), I found a 3X5 size sticker on my sweater that read "I need a lunch ticket. I'd been walking around the bookstore for two hours that way. It must have attached itself to me when I was cleaning out the car! Lucky me! I *wondered* at the inquiring looks at the bookstore...

A proud moment indeed.

Two Little Indians

When I saw this picture of Jacky wearing a feather, I thought of that Yankee Doodle Dandy song of old, "... stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni!" Yes, our young guinea pig is wearing a real feather, donated by our parakeet Sonny. Hannah assures me she did not pluck it from Sonny's tail feathers, but rather snatched it from the bottom of his cage. Evidently Sonny eyeballed her the whole time, though! ha!

In addition to playing dress up as Native American Indians, I caught Jacky and Hannah playing checkers together a few days ago. Alas, Jacky, who nudged the checkers with his nose with competitive flair, did not win the tournament. He conceded the game quite readily after being given a treat of Timothy hay.

All for now,
Tricia

Ways that Hannah builds up her mother's self-esteem

Snippets of conversation recently heard around the Williams' household:

Hannah, while running her hands through my hair while we cuddle on the floor together, said, "Ahh, my poor little mommy is getting white hair!"

Later, while lovingly stroking my cheek, she added, "Mommy, did you know you have a little mustache? Just like Ricky did on I Love Lucy--but Lucy didn't like it!"

Later that same evening, Hannah covered her nose with her hands, and make honking sounds. "Mommy, I'm being you!"
"How so?" I asked, not particularly looking forward to her answer.
"I'm making the noise you make when you blow your noise--it's the same noise an elephant makes! Isn't that neat? You could talk to elephants!"

Yes, isn't that neat... So special. So... elephant-y! That's me. A white-haired elephant sporting a mustache that calls my friends frequently.

I love being a mother! H-O-N-K!

New member of the family

I have a new appendage. My belly has declared its freedom. It is now, as the Brits say, “on holiday.” It has its own Independence Day. For 35 years, I have had the usual amount of limbs and have carried on quite successfully. Those days are passed. Pfffftt! Gone!

Now, I’ve never been the proud possessor of a six-pack. Never wanted it badly enough. Even in my trimmest days, my abs were, at best, a four- or five-pack. Alas, the stomach muscles have now congealed into one great lump and, as previously mentioned, are one entity. Think the UNIBROW, only the stomach version. The uni-ab. Any exercises I have done for the past few months or, years, have amounted to simply consolidating all that flab.

But the other night, while helping my fourth grader with her homework, I decided she was in dire need of a break. “Let’s get those wiggles out,” I exclaimed. We stretched and loosened, wiggled and giggled. I really got into it, man! Feeling great, I shouted, “Jumping jacks!” I bounced. My stomach bounced, about half a beat slower than the rest of me. And when I stopped, various parts of me kept moving. Whoa! “Stop, stop!” I cried to that rebellious flopping appendage.

Like the political candidate, Sarah Palin, my belly that has Gone Rogue.

Feeling all house-wifey...

For some reason, lately I've been Becky Home-ecky (hmm, never spelled that out before). I mean, I like to do *some* domestic things, but in the past two or three weeks, I've cleaned, iron and cooked more than I have in--ahem--let's just say quite some time. What is the reason for all this domestic bliss?

Not sure, exactly, but here are a few theories:

Like a lot of women, I don't know the meaning of "take it slow" and can't stand to just "do nothing;"

Due to the flu and pneumonia a couple of weeks back, I'm doing homey type chores because I can't do all the running around outside the home that I REALLY want to do;

Then there are the practical reasons, such as the fact that I was wearing the same shirt or two over and over when there are at least a few more perfectly fine but WRINKLED shirts hanging in my closet. Laziness, pure laziness. But desire for variety won over slobbishness and I now wear a healthy variety of color and style ("thank goodness," hubby John breathed silently!) ha!;

I watched my daughter eat practically the same supper, Veggie Burger Griller and vegetables and my mother's heart strings were touched; this child needs some different FOOD! Again, laziness, pure and simple;

The (hard) floors were so incredibly dirty (true confession time here), I just couldn't stand them any longer. You know you have dirty floors when you dread for the apartment maintenance manager (whose clothes ooze with grease!) to come by to fix the dripping faucet! Pretty bad! (For some reason, the carpet gets cleaned way more. Go figure.);

And last but not least: Hannah is in school! It's just so much easier to get things done around the house when you're sans child!

That being said, if we receive any visitors, say two weeks from now, or two MONTHS from now, please do NOT, I repeat, do NOT expect us to be clean, well-fed, or well-clothed. This state is, by all accounts, an anomaly, a freak of nature. This is JUST a phase.

For now, we will eat (terrific lasagna), drink, and be merry (or clean!)

I married a goofy, goofy man

That's my sweetie! Love the hair--that tousled, just-woke-up bedhead. And he never looked more handsome to me.

Something funny today--too good!

Photo caption says:

Find Him Yourself!

I thought I'd post a funny photo today, since yesterday's post was kinda serious. Hope you enjoy! I found the photo on www.funny.com.